


I'll Find a Way

by phantisma



Series: Vamp!Nate [2]
Category: Leverage
Genre: Bloodplay, Kid Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-03-14
Updated: 2009-04-05
Packaged: 2017-11-30 00:05:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/693069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phantisma/pseuds/phantisma
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Takes place following <a href="http://phantisma.livejournal.com/252336.html">Close the Door, Pull the Shades</a>.  A young lady turns up in the offices of Leverage, Inc one evening, looking for Eliot and turning Eliot's entire world on it's ear in the process.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"Excuse me, sir?" The little voice made Nate stop and turn. The girl attached to the voice was maybe seven. Eight at the outside, with honey-touched hair in pigtails and freckles splattered across her nose and eyes the color of the summer sky.

What was odd was that she was standing in their lobby. At nearly seven at night. Alone. With a small suitcase.

"Can I help you?" Nate asked, moving back the way he had come and setting down his coffee mug that was not filled with coffee.

"I'm looking for Eliot Spencer." She seemed confident, and independent.

"And who are you?"

"My name is Kathryn. My friends call me Ryna."

"That's a very pretty name." Nate bent down. "And how do you know Eliot?"

"I don't." She held up a photo with Eliot's name on it. "I only talk to him on the phone." Eliot had his arm around some woman holding a baby. "This is my mother. This is Eliot. Nana Miller had this address in her book for him."

Nate froze. He could smell her. The hunger bubbled up inside him like it did whenever Eliot had been gone a while and Nate smelled him on his return.

He stood back quickly. "Why don't you have a seat...I'll see if I can find him."

Nate burst into Eliot's office, pushing down the need to feed, though his fangs had dropped.

"Nate?" Eliot stood and approached cautiously. "What's wrong?"

"You been keeping secretes from me Eliot?"

He looked confused and shook his head. "No. No secrets, why?"

"There's a little girl in the lobby who smells just like you. Her name is Kathryn. Her friends call her--"

"Ryna." Eliot finished for him, pushing past him and out to the lobby. He dropped to a knee beside her chair and she threw her arms around his neck. "Ryna, honey, you can't be here."

"I had to see you. Nana always said you'd take care of me. Don't make me go back! I hate it there!"

Eliot stroked her back, then sat her back in the chair. "Honey, Nana Miller is a good woman. We talked about this the last time you called me."

She shook her head. "Nana Miller's gone, state came and took all us away. I don't like that place. I want to be with you."

Eliot looked stunned. "What do you mean, Nana Miller's gone?"

Ryna shrugged. "She went to the doctor one day and left Pete in charge, but she never came back. Few days later they loaded us into cars and took us away."

Eliot looked up at Nate, hurt, confused..."Okay, honey...just...wait here. I'll figure this out."

Nate followed Eliot back to his office watching him yank his hands through his hair. "Who is she?"

Eliot shook his head, rubbed a hand over his face and paced. He seemed to be having a conversation with himself. Nate intersected him on his third trip around the desk and stopped him. "Eliot. Who is she?"

"She...her mother was a friend...who got into some trouble...told me Ryna wasn't mine...I believed her, but...She died when Ryna was 3. Left Ryna with Nana Miller...grandmotherly type...raised half a town... I always helped out, you know? Talked to her on her birthday and Christmas…she asked last time if she could come live with me…how'd she get here?"

Eliot rambled a little longer before Nate shook his shoulders. "Eliot, that little girl smells just like you. Only one way I know that happens."

Eliot nodded, his eyes wide and dark, dark blue. "She's my daughter."

Nate let go of him, both of them startled by the thought. "I mean…I'm guessing." Eliot said, back to pacing. "I always wondered…but Katie always told me no…that it happened before we…and it wouldn't have worked out, not with things like they were and her problems and my lifestyle…and…"

"Eliot." Nate stopped him again. "You're rambling. You need to get it together."

"Right. Ryna needs…hell, Nate, how am I supposed to know what she needs?"

"Let's calm down, and start at the beginning, okay?"

"Beginning? Beginning, Nate? She's eight. Eight. And last I knew, she was living with Nana Miller in Georgia. This is LA, Nate. How the fuck did she get here?"

"I took a bus, mostly."

They both whirled to where Ryna was standing in the door. "What do you mean mostly?" Nate asked.

She crinkled up her nose at him. "I snuck out of that ugly place and hid in the back of a pickup to get to Nana's, found the money she told me she hid, took Gelf across the fields to old man Caffee's place, got Mrs. Caffee to take me to the bus station."

Nate turned to Eliot. "Gelf?"

"Horse." Eliot responded, crossing his arms and staring down at the girl. "Nana Miller had enough money hidden for you to get all the way to LA?"

She nodded. "Said my momma left it for me."

Eliot closed his eyes and Nate got the spike of fear before Eliot tamped it down. "I got to Dallas okay, but I was hungry and when I got off the bus this guy grabbed me." She frowned and made a face. "He was going to make me go back, but I told him no, and I screamed and then he showed his badge and so I kicked him, right between the legs. Hard."

She looked quite proud of herself while Eliot bristled beside him. "Ryna, honey, you can't just going around hurting people."

"Um, Eliot?"

"Shut up Nate." Eliot growled as he squatted beside her. "What did you do then?"

She looked at him like he was crazy. "I got back on the bus."

"The bus driver let you back on?"

"I paid him. Gave him two hundred dollars. Told him I'd give him two more when he got me to LA."

"Four hundred dollars?" Nate looked at Eliot, but he only had eyes for Ryna. "Eliot? A word?"

He nodded, stood and Nate pulled him off to the side. "Where does a kid like her get four hundred dollars?"

Eliot huffed and looked like he didn't really want to say. "Eliot?"

"Probably from the mob?" He winced as he said it.

"The mob." Nate wanted to be surprised by that. "That little girl over there, your daughter, has mob money?"

"I'm not sure, okay?" Eliot said, huffing some more. "Ten minutes ago I would have sworn to you I didn't have a daughter." He wiped his mouth and looked around Nate to the girl. "Look, when I first met Katie, she was on the run. Never said from who. I didn't ask. She paid me to keep her alive and get her south. That's what I did."

"You didn't ask, but the first thing you say when I ask about the money is mob?" Something clearly wasn't adding up. Eliot scratched at his head and huffed again.

"I didn't ask. But Katie was clearly New York, and used to getting things her way…and there was just…something about her. And the guys that came after her were…mob-like-guys."

Nate turned to look at Ryna, at the way she was clutching her suitcase. Only, she was wearing clothes that looked like she'd been living in them. "Ryna, what's in the suitcase?" Nate asked, suspecting he already knew the answer to the question.

She pulled it closer. "It's mine."

"We know it's yours, honey." Eliot said, moving closer.

"Who is he?" Ryna's eyes darted to Nate, then back to Eliot. "Do you trust him?"

Nate caught Eliot's smile before Eliot was kneeling with his back to Nate. "He's my partner, and my friend. And yes I trust him."

Ryna seemed to think it over. She lifted the suitcase and set it on Eliot's hands. Eliot lifted it and set it on his desk, opening it slowly. It was stuffed with money, neatly stacked bills all banded. "I only used a little." Ryna said.

"This is not good." Eliot said softly.

"No, really not. Close it." Nate looked over the little girl who was looking a little on the scared side now.

"I didn't steal it."

"No one thinks you stole it." Eliot said, his voice soothing. "But, your momma might have. And there might be some bad people looking for it."

"Lets not scare the child." Nate set a hand on Eliot's shoulder. "We'll worry about that when we have a reason to worry about it. For now, we have other issues to deal with." He turned back to Ryna. "Like the people who are probably looking for you, from here all the way back to Georgia."

"And the man you assaulted in Dallas." Eliot added. "Who was probably an officer of the court."

She paled under her freckles. "Am I in trouble?"

"No, but we could be, if we don't straighten out a few things." Eliot held out his hand. "You want to meet my other friend, Hardison?"

"Is he cute?"

"You did not just say that." Eliot shook his head.

"What? I'm just asking if he's cute."

"You're eight. Aren't you supposed to think boys are icky?"

"You're a boy, you're not icky."

Nate watched them go. It was almost too much to believe…but he knew he wasn't wrong. The scent alone was enough, but her face, those eyes…the voice, just a shade too sultry for a child her age…there was no way to deny that Eliot was that girl's daddy…and that everything around them had just changed completely.

 

 

"Okay, I'm still piecing all of this together." Hardison said as Eliot crossed his arms. Ryna sat in the corner of the conference room, spinning in her chair while sucking on the lollipop Hardison had given her.

"The woman you knew as Katie Campbell," Hardison brought up the picture Ryna had brought with her on the screen, "was born Stephanie Petrico. Daughter of Maureen and Donald. Donald Petrico is the distant cousin of family man Vinnie Capinci."

There was a thudding noise behind the screens, followed by a muffled curse and a vent above them popped open, Parker sticking her head out, blonde hair hidden under a dark cap. "Oh. Sorry."

She slid out of the vent, landing softly on her feet. "I was mapping out escape routes." Her eyes fell on Ryna, who was staring up at her. "Who are you?"

"I'm Ryna who are you?"

"Parker."

Eliot grabbed the back of Ryna's chair and wheeled it closer to the table. "Ryna's the daughter of an old friend."

"Who we were just learning all about." Hardison said, obviously miffed at the interruption.

"Why didn't anyone say we were having a meeting? Where's Sophie?"

"I don't need the whole team on this." Eliot said through clenched teeth. "I'm just making sure the girl is okay."

Nate put a hand on his shoulder.

"She looks fine to me." Parker said, dropping into a chair and turning her eyes to the screen. "Oh, but he doesn't."

"You know him?" Nate asked.

She wrinkled up her nose. "By reputation. I knew a guy who knew a guy who stole something from him. It wasn't pretty."

"You knew a guy who knew a guy?" Eliot shook his head. "Never mind. Hardison?"

"Yeah, okay. Our man Vinnie here is currently second in command of the Petrelli crime family, second to his cousin Victor Petrelli. Now, as near as I can tell, it was Vinnie here who put a price on cousin Donald's head when wee Stephanie was only five. He was still working his way up the ranks at the time, and even though Donald had very little association with the family, he was deemed a threat because he married Maureen, who's uncle had just been named as lead prosecutor in a federal case against some mob boys."

Hardison glanced at Ryna who didn't seem to be paying any attention to them or the screen. She was busy making faces at Parker, who was returning them just as quickly.

"The hit missed Donald and took out Maureen instead. Donald and Stephanie went into hiding. The next we see of Donald is an autopsy report five years later, hit and run accident. Stephanie went into the system and was lost until ten years ago." Hardison brought up a mug shot of Katie with her hair dyed black. "Meet Donna Farelli. She was arrested for shoplifting a couple of times, assault once, but the charges were dropped, then for stealing a car. She beat that charge, thanks to this man."

A scarred face filled the screen. "Mob lawyer Collin Michaels."

"She was trying to work her way into the family." Nate said beside Eliot. "And it worked."

Hardison nodded. "Next thing you know, we have pictures of Ms. Farelli on the arm of family guy Martin Scalia. He was a numbers guy for Vinnie, who was climbing the family tree pretty damn fast at this point."

Ryna giggled and Eliot looked down to find her and Parker playing with some string. "I'm listening." Parker said, her eyes lifting to Eliot's. He wasn't sure he liked what those eyes told him.

"So…what? She was looking for revenge?"

Hardison shrugged. "Hard to say. Things from here get a little hazy. Then a year and a half later, Martin Scalia and Donna Farelli are apparently dead." The burned out hulk of a limo filled the screen. "The hit was touted by the Petrelli's as the starting salvo in a war with the Garmon crime family. The Garmons didn't claim the hit though, and our man Vinnie slides down a branch or two on the tree, just as he was about to take a top spot due to some fancy maneuvering of the family's drug money."

Nate leaned in, his voice low. "She stole from him. Faked her death and ran."

"Which is when I met her." Eliot said. "Obviously Vinnie didn't buy it though, he sent men after her."

"Men you dealt with." Nate said, crossing his arms. "And she lived quietly for how long?"

"Ryna was three. Katie got real sick. I was…overseas." Eliot's eyes got dark and Nate shifted a little closer. Eliot swallowed. "Cancer. It took her fast. By the time I found out, Ryna was all settled in with Nana Miller. She was safe there."

"Which brings us to…" Hardison clicked the remote and the screen filled with newspaper stories about the death of a Georgia neighborhood legend, known locally as Nana Miller. "She had five foster kids living with her at the time. The oldest was fifteen, Peter Duncan. All of them were remanded to the state. However, the youngest, a young girl named Kathryn Campbell managed to escape from the state run orphanage before authorities could determine whether or not she had any living relatives. The girl was spotted in Dallas two days ago, but managed to elude authorities. An amber alert has been issued."

"That's not good." Nate chewed on his lip. "What can you do, Hardison?"

"Do? Do? About what?"

"The girl."

Hardison's eyes were big. "Amber Alert, Nate. Child in danger? That shit goes everywhere."

"Can't you hack in and turn it off?" Eliot asked

"Turn it off?" Hardison shook his head. "Turn it off, the man says. Right. Like you can just stop an amber alert."

"It won't matter." Parker said, standing and pulling off her cap. "Even if Hardison stops the Amber Alert, they'll just reissue it. They'll keep looking for her."

Eliot growled and paced. Ryna turned to look at him. "Eliot, you're not going to make me go back, are you?"

Everyone was staring at him, and Eliot felt trapped, suffocated. He pulled away when Nate reached for him

"Eliot—"

He turned away, stepping into the hallway, suddenly hyperventilating. Nate followed him and Eliot moved further away from the door. "I can't…I can't do this, Nate." Eliot's heart was pounding. "I'm no father. I'm not…Katie said…" He shook his head. There was no way. None. It wasn't the right time. He wasn't the right man. His life was no place for a child.

"She's your little girl, Eliot." Nate said softly.

Eliot shook his head, even as Nate pulled him into an embrace. "She needs you."

"She needs a father, Nate. She needs someone who can be there for her and take care of her. Not me. Not now."

"She can hear you, you know."

Eliot pushed Nate back and turned to look at Ryna.

"Nana said you'd take care of me." She was trying to be angry, Eliot could see it, but the tears in her eyes ruined the effect. "But I get it. You don't got time for me. That's fine. Just give me my money and I'll get out of your hair."

"No, Ryna…that isn't what I meant." Eliot reached for her, but she stiffened and he dropped his hand.

"You lied to me Eliot Spencer. You don't get to touch me." She wiped at the tears spilling from her eyes. "You said you cared about me. You said you'd come visit me. You said…you…said…"

Eliot dropped to his knees and wrapped his arms around her. "I do, Ryna. I do care about you. I care so much I only want what's best for you."

She pushed him hard enough he fell back on his ass. "But you get to decide what's best? No, I don't think so. I want what's best for me too."

Nate squatted beside Eliot. "She's got a point."

"You're not helping." Eliot growled, though some of the panic had washed away. "Okay, here's what we're going to do. I'm going to take Ryna to my place and get her a hot shower and a warm bed for tonight. Parker." He looked up to where Parker and Hardison are standing in the door. "Buy her some clean clothes and drop them by my place. Hardison, buy us some time."

He climbed to his feet.

"What about me?" Nate asked, standing too.

"You're on your own tonight." Eliot said, a hand on Ryna's elbow to steer her toward the door.

 

 

If he thought too much about it, the fear crept back in, so he doesn't think. He does what he does best. He acts and reacts without thinking too much about what comes next.

Ryna emerged from the bathroom swimming in an old t-shirt of his, her hair dark with moisture, looking a little scared. Eliot smiled for her. It was awkward between them now. It was never awkward when it had been just voices on the phone. He'd always felt comfortable being her friend, distant and safe.

If he let himself admit it, he'd known all along. Katie had known and lied to him. Maybe she never really wanted Eliot around her little girl. After all, Katie had known what he was. Had seen him kill. Or maybe she just knew that Eliot wasn't a father figure.

Either way, it didn't matter now. Ryna stared at him with big blue eyes as he tucked her into his bed. They'd hardly spoken since leaving the office. "Are you mad at me?" Ryna asked.

"What? No, honey, I'm not mad. I'm…" He sighed and soothed the blanket over her. "I'm a little stunned, and maybe worried about you. But not mad."

She nodded, those eyes hooded and dark. "Are you my father?" she asked breathlessly.

Eliot wasn't sure he wanted to answer that. He exhaled slowly. "I think maybe I am."

"I always thought you were. Nana wouldn't tell me."

"I don't think Nana knew, honey." Eliot said. "I never knew. Your mother told me…well, she said I wasn't."

"Why?"

The tears were back in those beautiful blue eyes and Eliot sighed. "I don't know. But it doesn't matter now, okay? You're here and we know now."

She was quiet for a few minutes and when she spoke again, her voice trembled. "You're not going to send me away are you?"

Eliot leaned down to kiss her forehead. "No, Ryna. If this is where you want to be, I'll find a way."


	2. I'll Find a Way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takes place following [Close the Door, Pull the Shades](http://phantisma.livejournal.com/252336.html). Nate tries to help Eliot adjust to the new role of father while outside forces are working to find Ryna and uncover the secrets of her past.

Eliot wasn't really surprised to find Nate at his door when he came out of the bedroom. He had a couple of shopping bags in his hands when Eliot stepped aside to let him in. "She sleeping?" Nate asked as he moved to the kitchen table to set the bags down.

"She's in bed." Eliot countered, rubbing over his face.

"Parker said she'd bring some more stuff tomorrow, but this should hold you over." Nate started dumping the bags onto the table, jeans and shirts and a pair of shoes.

Eliot shook his head and sat down. "I don't even know what to do."

Nate chuckled a little and stood behind him, rubbing his shoulders. "You're doing fine."

Eliot leaned back into the strong tower of Nate's body behind him. "How can I take care of a little girl? With the life I lead?"

"We'll manage." Nate said, his hand soothing down Eliot's arm.

Eliot snorted and tipped his head back to look up at him. "We? What are we, some old married couple now? Settling down to raise up a family?"

Nate kissed him and moved away. "Married, no. Couple, yes. Family, apparently."

"You know, I used to know what was going on in my life." Eliot stood and started sorting through the piles of clothes.

"And then you met me." Nate pulled two beers out of the fridge and popped the tops before handing one across to Eliot.

"So…you're suggesting what? We move in together or something? You, me and Ryna?" Eliot shook his head. "A vampire, a thief and an 8 year old. It sounds like a bad sitcom."

"No, if it were a bad sitcom there'd be a werewolf or a witch or something too." Nate led the way into the living room, sitting on the couch as he sipped his beer. "It isn't a bad idea. I mean we're together more than we're apart as it is."

"I thought we agreed to keep our own spaces." In fact, Eliot had insisted on it. He had felt a little trapped at the time, and things had smoothed out since then, but still…he liked his freedom, his privacy.

"So we get a three bedroom." Nate said softly. "We each have our own space."

"There's still the small problem of vampire and little girl." Eliot said.

Nate frowned at him. "What…you don't think I would…"

Eliot shook his head. "No, not…not like that. I mean, I saw you, when you got your first whiff of her, Nate. You looked like you do when I've been away, when you need me."

"I can control myself, Eliot." Nate said, an angry edge to his voice. Eliot reached for him, pushing him back down onto the couch when he would have gotten up.

Eliot moved until he was straddling Nate's lap, kissing his pouting lips. "I know you can."

Nate's hands came to rest on his hips as Eliot sank down onto him. Eliot's kiss was soft, taking away the sting of any doubt his words might have created. "We're still working this thing out between us. I don't know all the rules."

Nate's tongue slipped between his lips, his eyes closing. "I would never hurt her."

"I know." He could feel Nate under him, his cock hardening. "I need some time, need to figure out how to get this right." He rubbed their still-clothed cocks together, earning a moan.

"Don't start something you can't finish." Nate said, licking at Eliot's lips. "Maybe I should go." His eyes don't open though and he didn't try to move.

"Don't want you to." Eliot responded after a long minute.

Nate's eyes opened then, his smile wicked. "See, if we lived together, I wouldn't have to."

Eliot groaned in response.

 

 

Nate looked up when Hardison knocked on his office door. "Where are we?"

"We? What we? I been here all night. Alone."

"And we appreciate it." Nate responded, folding his hands and looking up patiently.

"You better. The things I do for you." Hardison shook his head and sat down, setting his laptop on Nate's desk. "I flooded the system with sightings of our new client, Dallas, Houston, Tulsa, Las Vegas. They have to investigate all of them, so that should buy us a little time."

"Good."

"Not a lot of time. They will come for her."

"I know. One thing at a time."

"Nate?" He looked up at Sophie. "There's a little girl with Eliot."

"Her name is Ryna." Nate replied, standing. "She's our client."

"She's a runaway." Hardison corrected, grabbing his laptop.

"Who is in trouble." Nate countered.

"What kind of trouble? Who is she?" Sophie asked, following Nate down the hall toward Eliot's office.

Ryna narrowed her eyes at them as they came in, half hiding behind Eliot. "The kind of trouble that gets messy." Eliot said. There was a hardness on his face. "We need to talk."

Nate's eyes skipped to Ryna and back again. "Problem?"

"Only if you think two big guys with big guns watching the front door of this place is a problem." Eliot responded.

"Wait, what?" Hardison shook his head. "Not possible." He fiddled with his computer to bring up the security feed. Eliot leaned around the screen to point out the two men. They were just barely in frame of the camera. "Who are they?"

"Last I knew Social Services didn't come armed." Nate observed. "How'd you get in?"

"Fire escape."

Sophie peeked through the blinds frowning. "Who is she running from?"

"I came to be with Eliot." Ryna said, standing where she could see Sophie but Eliot was still between them.

Sophie's frown grew. "You know her?" She turned to Nate, clearly miffed. "Didn't we agree no more personal cases?"

"This is different." Nate said softly.

"No. It looks pretty damn personal to me."

"It is personal." Eliot interjected, his hand on Ryna's shoulder. "I don't need the team on this. Just a little room to take care of it." He looked up at Nate. "And someone to watch her while I do."

"You're not going down there." Nate shook his head. "They look like they're just watching the building. We should figure out exactly who they are and what they want. That's what we do."

"Um, guys?" Hardison's fingers were flying over the keyboard. "We know who they are. New York mob. The guy on the left is Tank Terrelli. Other one is Ralph Recci. Both hitters for Petrelli and Vinnie Capinci." Hardison turned the computer to show them mug shots.

"How did they find her?" Eliot asked, moving to the window to look down at them.

"Can we take a second?" Sophie asked, crossing her arms. "Can we back up and start from the beginning?"

"There is no beginning." Eliot snapped. "It's nothing. I'll handle it." He turned to Ryna. "Honey, I need you to stay here with Nate for a little while, okay?"

She frowned at him. "I don't want to."

"You think they tracked the money?" Nate asked.

"Money?" Sophie was clearly getting agitated. "What money?"

"Wouldn't they have found it before now if they could?" Eliot asked, tugging Ryna closer.

"Maybe it wasn't just the money." Hardison offered. "I found out who her mother was easy enough. If I did, maybe they did too."

Nate watched Eliot think through the pieces of information. "Or maybe they'd already figured out who Ryna was. Hardison, can you get some more information on Nana Miller?"

"Like what?"

"I want to know how she died. She hadn't been sick. She would have told me. She knew I would look out for Ryna if something happened to her."

"You thinking the mob got to her?" Nate asked.

Eliot nodded. "Maybe. If they figured out who Katie was? Maybe they went looking for her."

"And found Nana Miller instead." Hardison stood and grabbed his laptop. "No one messes with a Nana. I'm on it."

"We should probably get you and Ryna out of here." Nate said. "Take her to my place."

Eliot shook his head. "They're probably figuring out who we all are right now. None of our places are going to be safe."

"What about the money?" Ryna asked, tugging on Eliot's leg.

"I put it the safe last night." Nate said.

"What money?" Sophie asked again.

"I'll explain it all to you once we get out of here." Nate promised. "Call Parker, tell her to get scarce. Then you, do the same. Meet up at the safe house tomorrow."

Eliot lifted Ryna and headed for the door. "I've got her, you get the money."

Eliot and Sophie both scattered, and Nate headed to the safe. They could probably negotiate, give the money back. It wasn't as though they really needed it and once they did, Ryna would be safe. Of course to do that, they'd have to get past the minor muscle and actually talk to Vinnie Capinci. Without getting any of them killed.

 

 

Eliot got as far as the lobby and stopped, blinking at the line of badges in the hands of three men in suits and a woman in low heels and looking suspiciously like a social worker.

"Can I help you?" Eliot asked, glancing over his shoulder. Ryna kept her face buried in his neck.

"I believe that little girl is our reason for being here." The tall man on the end spoke first. "I'm Tom Brettle, FBI."

"FBI?" Eliot shook his head. "What does the FBI want with my daughter?"

"Your daughter?" the woman asked, clearly disbelieving.

Eliot nodded. "Yes, my daughter. What's this about?"

"I have a court order to take Kathryn Campell into custody." The woman held up a piece of paper with the Georgia seal at the top.

"Child Protective Services?" Eliot's heart was hammering and Ryna whimpered against his neck. "Why?"

"For starters, she's a runaway."

"Megan, relax." Agent Brettle said. "Kathryn could be a material witness in a case the FBI has been investigating a long time. I've been looking for her for almost 7 years."

"Long time to be looking for a kid." He looked over his shoulder again. What the hell was keeping Nate?

"We were actually looking for her mother, however it seems she's gone. We caught a break about a month ago when someone contacted our office and told us about the kid."

"I don't know what to tell you. This is my daughter, and we're late--" He started to push through them but Agent Brettle stopped him. Eliot cussed under his breath. He leaned in. "If you don't let us go right now there's going to be trouble."

"Are you threatening me? I promise you Son, that won't get you anywhere."

"No, look, I don't know—"

Parker burst into the room from the hallway, whatever she was about to say dying on her lips. The woman grabbed at Ryna, and Eliot reacted instinctively, pulling away. Ryna screamed and suddenly there were guns drawn and he could hear Nate's voice.

"Everyone should just calm down."

"Who are you?" Brettle asked.

"Nathan Ford, I own this business. This man works for me. I don't know what the problem is, but I assure you we don't want any trouble."

"There is only going to be trouble if your man here does not surrender the child."

"I don't want to go. Please Eliot don't let them take me!" Ryna clung to his neck.

"It isn't up to him, Ms. Campbell."

Eliot felt Nate's hand on his shoulder. "Eliot."

"I know." Eliot took a deep breath. "Ryna, honey. It'll only be for a little while. Until we can straighten this out, okay?"

He tried to put her down, but her arms just closed tighter on his neck. "Honey, please."

"No Eliot. I want to stay with you!"

He got her on her feet and pried her hands loose. "I'm going to come for you as soon as I can, okay?"

The woman tried to take Ryna's hand, but she yanked away from her. "I can walk by myself."

"I think you'd better come with us." Agent Brettle said to Eliot. "I'm sure we're going to have a few questions for you."

He knew this couldn't go anywhere good. They'd run his prints and it would be over. "Nate."

"I know." Eliot was being herded toward the door behind the social worker and Ryna. At least they weren't arresting him. Yet. He had to stay calm. He managed until they reached the lobby and the gunfire started.

He threw himself forward at the social worker, knocking her to the ground and scrambling over her to grab Ryna who was screaming. About the time he got his hands on her, the FBI guy was shoving them into a corner behind a statue. "Just hold on Ryna." Eliot said, in what he hoped was a soothing voice. Her little body was trembling in his arms, her hands covering her ears. One of the FBI guys was down and Brettle looked like he'd taken a shot to the arm.

The social worker wasn't moving. The front doors of the building lay in shards across the marble floor. The gunfire was coming closer. Their cover wasn't going to protect them for long. "Ryna, I need you to be a very big girl and stay here."

"Don't leave me."

Eliot disentangled himself from her and held her in the corner. "Not going to, I just need to even up the odds a little. You stay right here. Don't move."

He knew they were fucked six ways from Sunday as soon as he broke cover. They were outnumbered and the mob guys moving in wouldn't hesitate to kill. He took out the first one he reached, throwing his body into the next, but he could tell it wouldn't be enough. He disarmed a third before the butt of a gun met his jaw and sent him sprawling.

He got back to his feet, only to find himself face to face with a big guy with meaty hands that came swinging at him. He ducked one punch and just missed a second, then a big hand was closing on his neck and lifting him off his feet.

"Eliot!" He heard her screaming, kicked and flailed at the man who held him, but his vision was growing dark. "No! No! Eliot!"

"Ryna…" He got one good kick in the man's balls and fell to the floor amidst broken glass and shattered pieces of wood, coughing and trying to get to his feet. Something heavy hit the back of his head, and everything went dark.


	3. I'll Find a Way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takes place following [Close the Door, Pull the Shades](http://phantisma.livejournal.com/252336.html). Eliot and Ryna are held prisoner while Nate and crew try to find them.

The gunshots ended and Nate pulled himself up from the bottom of the stairs where he'd landed when the gunshots started. He could smell the blood before he got the door open. A lot of blood and gunpowder. The floor of the lobby was littered with glass and debris and bodies. The others were still coming behind him.

He sniffed the air as he moved over the nearest body, a woman. He didn't have to look to know she was dead. He kept moving. There was a pool of blood on the floor, smeared and leading toward the doors. It ended in the still twitching body of the FBI agent that had taken Eliot away.

Neither Eliot nor Ryna were among the dead. But they weren't there either.

Nate squatted beside him, reaching in his pocket for the id. "Agent Tom Brettle. Great." The man's eyes opened. He was bleeding out, probably wouldn't live more than a few minutes. Nate was finding it difficult to care. "Where are they?" Nate asked coldly.

The man opened his mouth, but all that came out was blood. He gurgled, his hands sliding across the bloody floor to point out the doors. Sirens were blaring and if they got caught at the scene it would be hours before they could get hunting for Eliot and Ryna.

He stood, his eyes running over the scene again. At least none of the blood was Eliot's. He headed back toward the stairs, stopping Parker as she was reaching the bottom. "Cops coming, we need to scatter."

 

 

Eliot crawled back to consciousness painfully slowly. His head felt thick and his body was stiff and cold. He opened his eyes, memory of the fight flooding into him. Ryna.

He sat up quickly, then regretted it. His vision grayed out and he nearly passed out again, holding his side. He'd fallen fairly hard when the bastard dropped him. He lifted his shirt, sliding a hand over bruised skin. At least none of the glass had cut him. His jaw hurt and he moved it slowly, hoping it would loosen up.

He was alone in what was barely a closet. He could touch all four walls without moving much. He tried standing, leaning on the wall when things got fuzzy again. He obviously had a concussion. He needed to break out of this box and find Ryna. He inched forward to the door. Of course it was locked, he hadn't really expected it not to be.

Eliot was just about to see how sturdy it was when he heard voices and footsteps. He moved to the back of the space, watching the door. It opened and two big hands reached in for him, dragging him out and down the hall. He chose not to fight, the guy had already put him down once, he wasn't going to give him another opportunity. Eliot watched around them instead, mapping the hall, doors and corridors. They were in some sort of industrial building, basement probably. The air was cool as he was shoved into a storage room lined with cans and boxes and produce, so it was probably a restaurant of some kind.

He was pushed into a chair, hands and feet tied down. It was like something out of a bad mob movie with the light shining down on him and the rest of the room in shadow as three guys stepped up, two of them shining brass knuckles.

Eliot resigned himself to taking a beating before he managed to get free. He squinted into the dark at the men. The guy in the middle had to be the man in charge. "You must be Vinnie Capinci." He got back handed for the trouble, metal digging into his cheek and cutting him open.

"You talk when I tell you to talk." Capinci said. "I have a few questions for you."

"I have one for you too." Eliot said. "Where's the girl?"

"She's tucked away safe and sound, don't worry your pretty little head over her."

"I'm not talking until I know she's okay."

"Oh, you'll talk." He nodded to the two guys and Eliot got a stomach full of hard fist and harder metal. He felt a rib crack as he doubled forward as much as the chair allowed. He sucked in air and lifted his head, only to get punched across the jaw again.

"Where's my money?"

"What money?" Eliot spit blood on the floor and tossed his head to get the hair out of his face.

"Funny boy, eh? You think I don't know you got my money? I found out where the broad went. I found out she had a kid. I found the kid and that old woman. The old woman wouldn't give me the money. You know what happened to her?"

"You'll find I'm a little harder to kill than an old woman, Vinnie." Eliot said, tensing for the blow. It was hard enough to knock the chair over, the impact rattling him and knocking the wind out of him.

"Pick him up." When they got Eliot upright again, Vinnie had a picture in his hand. "This is you with the broad who stole from me. You're the asshole that killed my men all those years ago. You took her to Georgia and hid her and the money. I want my money."

 

 

 

"She was carrying all of that?" Parker asked, her eyes lighting up as she knelt on the floor by the coffee table and ran her hand over the stacks of twenties.

Nate sat on the chair in the low rent hotel room, his hands turning over the only other thing he'd found in the suitcase. The door opened and Hardison and Sophie slipped in from the hall.

"We're clear for the moment." Sophie said, dropping bags on the kitchenette counter. "I brought food."

"Hardison." Nate held up the cassette tape. "See what's on this."

He tossed it and Hardison caught it. "With what? Do I look like a tape player?"

Nate scowled at him and he'd swear Hardison paled. "Do it."

Parker looked up at him, eyes narrowing. "How long has it been?"

"What?" Nate switched his focus.

"You, feeding. How long?"

"None of your business." Nate growled, standing to pace.

"It is if you're going to get all…growly at us because you haven't."

"In case you hadn't noticed, Eliot isn't here."

"No, but I brought you this." Sophie pulled a smaller bag out of the bigger bag. "Took some doing…" She tossed it to him, and he could smell it as he caught it.

Blood. Not a lot, and not completely fresh, but blood. He opened the bag. "This came from the blood bank."

She nodded. "You wouldn't believe the security at that place. You'd think there were a lot of people trying to steal blood."

Nate scowled at her, but it wasn't that he was angry. He was worried. He was irritated. He wanted to find the men who had touched Eliot and hurt them. A lot. "Thank you." He took the bag and withdrew into the bathroom where they wouldn't have to watch him. He didn't usually feed on cold blood, but he wasn't going to microwave it with them watching. It still freaked Hardison out when he did it at the office.

Feeding would help him gain a little control, a little perspective, which he was going to need if they were going to find Eliot and the girl. He finished off the blood as fast as he could, tossing the bag before heading back out.

Hardison was set up at the rickety table with his laptop, the cassette laying beside him. "Okay, near as I can tell, Capinci and his crew are probably laying low in one of these three places." His long finger pointed at three dots on his computer screen. "This one is a warehouse owned by a holding company, owned by a subsidiary of a pharmaceutical company, which is owned by various members of the Petrelli family. This is a restaurant supply company owned by a local guy with ties to Capinci. Last one is an actual restaurant, owned by Capinci's cousin."

"That's the one." Nate said, convinced they would use the building most clearly under their control for keeping Eliot. "I'll scout it out. You find out what's on that tape. Parker, you're with me."

 

 

 

Eliot was beginning to think that this wasn't really about the money. It wasn't enough to have someone like Capinci this riled up. And he was riled up.

He held Ryna by the arm, squeezing. She'd been crying, Eliot could tell, but as soon as she saw Eliot she'd calmed down, focused on him. Eliot licked his split lip and shifted his eyes back up to Capinci. "You really don't want to do that." Eliot said.

He was going to leave bruises on the girl's arm. His hands tightened on the chair, weakened from the slamming on the floor. Someone new came into the room, leaning in to whisper in Capinci's ear. Capinci glanced behind Eliot, then back to the new man. "Well, get rid of them. Eddie, go with him."

That was just what Eliot needed. Somehow, he knew it would be Nate, could almost feel him. Now that he had back up, he just needed to deal with Capinci and the heavyweight.

He caught Ryna's eye, hoping she understood when he nodded to her. She nodded back and Eliot took a slow, deep breath before yanking his arms up, the chair splintering under him as he kicked his legs free and swung his arm out, catching the big guy in the throat with the wood of the chair arm. He made an odd, gurgling sound, blood spurting out as Eliot pulled free.

Ryna stomped her little foot down on Capinci's, ducking as Eliot swung his way. She wrenched her arm free and ducked behind some boxes. Capinci tried to bring his gun around, but Eliot knocked it free.

He finally got loose of the last of the ropes and wood pieces, kicking the gun off into the shadows. "Ryna!"

She was at his side instantly and Eliot pushed her toward the door. "Did you see anything coming in?" Eliot asked as they got to the hallway and he looked around.

"Stairs over there." Ryna pointed and they ran toward them. Capinci wouldn't be far behind them, but if he could just get Ryna to Nate, he could handle Capinci.

 

 

"Parker?"

"I'm in. Give me a few minutes."

Nate adjusted the comm. piece in his ear and headed into the restaurant. It was closed for renovations of some sort and just getting in the front door he could smell Eliot. This time he was bleeding.

"Sorry, sir, we're closed." The man was in a nice suit, but the man with him had blood on his hand. Eliot's blood.

Nate felt his control slipping.

"I'm here to see Mr. Capinci." Nate said, closing the gap.

"I'm sorry sir, there's no here by that name. Eddie, see the man out."

"I wouldn't, Eddie." Nate said, cracking his neck. Eddie reached for him and Nate ducked away, letting his fangs descend and grabbing for the big, beefy man. He dropped him to the ground, wrenching the hand with the blood up behind him. "You should know better than to touch things that don't belong to you." He heard the satisfying crunch of the breaking arm and licked at Eliot's blood on his knuckles. It was cold, thick.

When he looked up the other man was gone. "Now that's rude." Nate said. He shoved Eddie's face into the floor, knocking him out cold. He sniffed the air, following the scent of fear.

"Found them." Parker's voice said in his ear. "They've got company."

"Where?"

"Behind the kitchen, meeting room."

"On my way." Nate hurried through the kitchen, catching the guy in the suit just as he opened the door and Nate could smell Eliot and Ryna both.

Furniture crashed as Nate threw the suit-guy into the room. Two guys were circling Eliot at the far end. "Go to Nate." Eliot shoved Ryna toward Nate and she ran for him, grabbing his legs.

"Eliot."

Eliot warned him off with a hand, which he then pulled through his hair. "I got this." His face was bruised and bloody, and he was favoring the one side a little.

Nate growled in frustration, but he had a frightened little heart pounding against his leg and two arms wrapped around him.

Eliot smiled. Fucking smiled at the bastard nearest him and Nate wondered if he realized he's about to die. Bloody. Painful.

"Parker, can you get Ryna out?"

"Get her up to me, I'm behind you."

Nate pried the little girl's arms loose from his leg and lifted her. "Eliot--" She dove and almost got free, but Nate reeled her in.

"He's going to be fine. You need to go with Parker so I can help Eliot."

He lifted Ryna as the vent cover opened. Parker's hands grabbed the girl's wrists and Nate could feel her leave his arms, turning back to Eliot who is whirling on the second man, foot swinging through the air.

His boot heel smashed into the man's jaw, sending blood spattering out around him. From across the room Nate could hear the crunch and knew the man's jaw was broken.

Before he'd even hit the ground, Eliot hauled the first guy off the floor and shoved him against the wall. His voice was low, growling into the man's ear.

Nate couldn't quite hear what he said, but he knew...he just knew what Eliot was about to do and he couldn't get there fast enough to stop him.

The man fell, his eyes open and staring. Eliot stepped back, looking down at his hands. It wasn't the first time he'd killed, Nate knew that. "He hurt my little girl." Eliot said, though Nate wasn't sure he was speaking to him.

"I know, Eliot."

Eliot's breathing was tight, and Nate knew from the way his left hand held his middle that the there was rib on the right that was probably broken again.

"No one hurts my little girl, Nate." Eliot said, looking up at him, his eyes bright.

"I know. It's okay."

Eliot nodded slowly, still looking at his hands. A low moan drew his attention back to the second man. Nate intercepted him half way there. "She's my little girl now too," he said softly. Eliot's hands clenched as Nate turned to the man who was trying to crawl away. Nate swooped down, squatting over him.

He could drink, bleed him dry, but somehow the idea made him feel dirty. Eliot hadn't reacted well the last time Nate killed that way. Like Eliot, Nate put his hands on the man's head, pulled and turned and snapped the man's neck. His hands felt strangely cold, even as he stood and pulled Eliot to him, holding him close. "She's okay, Eliot. She's okay."

 

 

 

 

"Close your eyes."

"I'm not tired."

"Yes you are, you just don't know it yet. Close your eyes." Eliot's voice was soft, low and soothing. Ryna fussed with her blankets, fidgeted and Eliot sat beside her waiting. When she finally did what he wanted, those impossibly blue eyes sliding closed, Eliot brushed a finger over her face, gently brushing hair from her skin.

Nate knew the touch was more than that. It was a connection, a gentle reminder that he was there, that he has got her, that she was safe. She sighed softly and Nate could sense her shift into sleep. Eliot sat a little longer before he eased his hand away and stood, pressing a kiss to her forehead and slipping out of the living room.

Nate drew him in, arms circling around him. Eliot was only degrees away from falling apart and Nate knew. He kissed Eliot's forehead and directed him toward the bedroom. He undressed Eliot, despite the raised eyebrow and his attempt to pull away and do it himself. "Lay down."

Nate soothed the blankets up over him and sat beside him. "Close your eyes."

"Nate--"

He pressed a finger to Eliot's mouth. "Shh...close your eyes."

Eliot huffed, but his eyes slide closed. Nate reached for his face, one finger tracing over his brow, which eased and relaxed under him. "I'm here. I'm not leaving."

"Nate-"

Again, he pressed a finger to Eliot's lips. "I saw you tonight. Saw what you did. I see you for who you are."

Eliot's face tightened, but he doesn't pull away. His hands lifted to Nate's, pulling them away from his face and sitting up. His kiss tasted vaguely of guilt and desperation, but his eyes were clear when he opened them.

They had killed together, and act of deliberation. It was a first for them. Eliot slid over in the bed, holding the blankets. "Come to bed."

Nate nodded, rising long enough to strip out of his clothes and slide into the bed. He closed his eyes as Eliot lay beside him, and felt the weight of what they'd done lift just a little. There was still a lot to clean up, and a long road until Ryna was theirs forever, but for now it was enough that both Ryna and Eliot were safe.

 

 

Nate slid into the empty chair at the table opposite a man he might have once considered a friend. He put the CD on the table and slipped it across the table.

"Been a while."

Nate inclined his head.

"Hear you aren't exactly the knight in shining armor anymore."

"I still get the job done." Nate said. The restaurant around them was bustling, one of the reasons he'd chosen it. "You willing to help?"

"What is this?"

"Evidence. Voice recordings of Vinnie Capinci and various other members of the Petrelli crime organization. Enough to get convictions of conspiracy, murder, racketeering."

"And what is it you want in exchange?"

Nate put an envelope on top of the CD. "Not a lot. Just one little girl's future with her father."

 

 

"Eliot Spencer?"

Eliot looked up, frowning lightly. "Yeah?"

"Delivery. Sign here?"

Eliot looked the kid over, but signed, taking the envelope and opening it before the kid was gone from the conference room door. He frowned harder as he read it. "Hardison? What did you do?"

Hardison looked confused as he turned from his computer. "What?"

"This is a letter from the state of Georgia granting me custody of Ryna. It says the formal paperwork will follow in a few days. I thought you said you couldn't—"

"He didn't." Nate said with a smirk, leaning on the doorframe. "Well, not by himself anyway."

"How?" Eliot frowned at him. "I mean, is this for real?"

"Care of the FBI and their organized crime group. We gave them…a little leverage."

"A little leverage?" Eliot crossed the room, dropping the letter on the table as he got to Nate, his hands fisting in Nate's lapel to drag him closer.

"Ah…really? Here? In front of me?" Hardison squeaked.

Eliot didn't look away. "Hardison, beat it." He didn't check to see if Hardison left, just leaned in, kissing Nate hard as he turned him toward the table and kicked the doors closed.

"What? Here?" Nate asked, smirking.

"Now." Eliot growled. His hands let go of Nate's jacket to pull on his belt, getting it loose and digging in to his zipper. "Right now."

"Okay." Nate grinned as Eliot got his pants down, and slid to one knee to lick and suck at his cock, coaxing it to full erection before Eliot stood, undoing his own pants.

It had been a while and Eliot was moving fast, his jeans on the floor as he kissed Nate again, turning them until Eliot was the one against the table, laying back and drawing Nate to him.

"You know Hardison probably has cameras…"

Eliot grinned as Nate sank into him. "Let 'em watch." He lifted his hands up over his head, grabbing onto the table, lifting his hips to meet Nate's thrust.

"Kinky." Nate murmured as he leaned in, cock buried inside Eliot, tongue licking over his tight nipples. "I got something kinkier." Eliot lifted his head to look Nate in the eye, just as Nate's fangs dropped, his eyes glittering dark and dangerous. He bite around Eliot's nipple and Eliot fought to orgasm as long as he could, tumbling over the edge when Nate's cock pressed against his prostate and his mouth pulled blood from Eliot's chest.

Come smeared under his shirt as Nate grinned down at him and thrust harder into him. It only took a few strokes to get him to the edge himself. Eliot lifted up on his elbows as Nate stepped back. "Thank you."

Nate smiled and bent to retrieve Eliot's pants. "Oh, I'm not done yet." Nate said with a smirk. He went to Hardison's computer while Eliot got his pants back on. He taped a couple of keys and the screen lit up, pictures of a house filling it.

"What's this?"

"I bought it yesterday." Nate said. "Five bedrooms, two office spaces, a gourmet kitchen, maid's quarters, play area, swimming pool, a small gym, hot tub, rec room…"

"Are you asking me to move in with you, Nate?" Eliot asked, crossing his arms.

"I'm asking you and Ryna to come live with me, to be my family." Nate said.

"Family." Eliot moved closer, his heart pounding. "Like an old married couple?"

"Well, I didn't say married." Nate responded. "But yeah, like that."

Eliot thought he saw uncertainty in Nate's eyes. In fact, he wasn't really certain either, but he hadn't had family in a long, long time. "I get my own room."

Nate nodded.

"And rule over the kitchen."

Nate grinned. "You expecting me to argue? It's not like I can cook."

"Okay." Eliot agreed, uncrossing his arms. "We can try it. See how it goes."

"We are not helping you move." Hardison's voice said from the speakers in the walls.

Eliot shook his head and let Nate kiss him. "Told you." Nate whispered.

"That isn't cameras." Eliot argued. Two seconds later the house was gone and the screen was filled with Nate and Eliot and thrusting and biting. "I'm going to kill him."

"You're the one that said let 'em watch." Nate reminded.

"Watching is one thing, recording is another." Eliot stared at the place he assumed the camera would be. "Hear me Hardison? That better disappear or I will kill you." The screen went dead. Eliot grinned. "So, really? You, me, Ryna…you're okay with that?"

"I get you. I get to watch you with her. I don't see a down side."

"Then what say you and me go rescue her from Sophie and let her know?"

"Sophie?"

Eliot shrugged. "Something about shopping and girls and hair…I didn't follow the whole thing."

"Then we definitely need to rescue her."

"And get pizza." Eliot added as they opened the door.

"Pizza is good." Nate agreed.

"What, that's it?" Hardison asked, popping his head out of his office as they passed. "No I love you or something? Just pizza?"

They stopped, stared at him until he shrugged. "Okay, pizza. I could eat."

Eliot glared.

"Just saying." Hardison took a step back. "My bad."

Eliot could feel Nate's eyes and groaned. "You're not."

Nate frowned and shook his head. "No, of course not."

"Good."

"Good."

"That it?"

Nate nodded. "Yeah, I think so."

"Okay. We should go then."

"Right. Pizza?"

"And beer." Eliot agreed.

"A whole lot of beer."


End file.
